Preparedness and Shit

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

My words are:

French toast ~ wallet ~ dog food ~ trail mix ~ iPad

It was submitted by: https://crazymamallama.blogspot.com/

Being prepared and skilled *shouldn't* be a radical concept, but it's treated like one. Let's go forward from this point with an open mind. 

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A lot of people are still ignoring what should be obvious more and more every day. There have been calls for a second civil war, and the more violence that keeps occurring propels us further along that route with every passing week. To some experts, it’s all but guaranteed. The question, to them, is when not if, and this summer has done more to progress that possibility than any others in a long while. And while I hope that I am wrong, I also feel like ignoring the slowly accelerating descent into fascism that’s happening is what has allowed it to fester…to grow and spread and taint more and more of our way of life. I also think it’s better to be prepared for something major than to sit back and hope and pray you never have to deal with it while you dine on French toast and hashbrown waffles at brunch downing mimosas to hide your anxiety.

Yes, it’s more numbing to grab an ipad and scroll through the same 3 apps while dissociating for hours, but there’s also benefit in being prepared for emergencies, to have a plan in case something bad happens where you are that forces you to leave quickly or to hole up and do your own thing for awhile, and I’m going to give some resources to you in this post that might be helpful in making that plan and taking at least a moderate amount of control in a life that currently feels like chaos if you pay even a modicum amount of attention to the news especially as more and more countries have alt right governments. India’s prime minister is a literal Nazi, for example. He’s a member of the Nazi party in India. We haven’t learned much from our past mistakes, and we ignore even more.

Some of this will be common sense for any kind of emergency situation like having waterproof storage for your wallet, but obviously it’s more than that. Survival medicine, foraging, how to use every bit of land that you have access to for gardening, how to prep food for long term storage, how to make trail mix and homemade dog food, etc. Use them as you need to. And also keep in mind that in any scenario, your best bet is to find a group who all share these skills to make it longer term. Talk to your friends and family about these things and help them learn.

An overall base guideline 

· Checklist: https://theprepared.com/prepping-basics/guides/emergency-preparedness-checklist-prepping-beginners

· Tips for different scenarios: https://theprepared.com/emergencies/

· Survival tips: https://hueypnewtongunclub.org/survival-programs

· Intro to Mutual Aid: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/andrej-grubacic-david-graeber-introduction-to-mutual-aid

· Building community groups and mutual aid: https://www.paperrevolution.org/mutual-aid/

· Activist tools: https://www.paperrevolution.org/activist-tools/

Good overall resources 

· Coal Cracker Bushcraft (youtube)

· Gray Bearded Green Beret (youtube)

· Tacticool Girlfriend (youtube)

· Live Like the World is Dying (podcast. I listen on spotify)

· The Prepared (online site)

· https://nchfp.uga.edu/tips/tips_home.html (food tips)

· The Anarchist Library https://theanarchistlibrary.org/special/index

· Free publications, books, audiobooks, videos: www.archive.org

· War on Everyone by Robert Evans (also check out his podcasts It could Happen Here and Behind the Bastards)

· The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker

· https://www.paperrevolution.org/library/

Emergency Prep for if you have to leave your home or “bug out” 

· Ultralight bag with gear recommendations https://youtu.be/t4GYjhwfvwU

· Supplemental kit for urban environments: https://youtu.be/4vNEIJLk56I

· Several articles discussing individual items for your kit: https://theprepared.com/bug-out-bags/

· Winter supplemental kit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JilgutU2a5k

· Another Winter/super cold quick camp setup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1dYj9IbmPA

· Longer term wigwam setup if you’re in one area for a while before moving on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KbjX92VxnI

· Hygiene while on the move including info for people with periods (cw: cisnormative language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ju01IPSwc4

· High calorie trail mix recipe: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/yummy-recipe-high-protein-sweet-salty-trail-mix/

· Making fire in rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lZcPzyg014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Il5_F-ZAg

· Concealed wilderness fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29woKujuuFs

· The beginning of a series on map reading (all are recommended): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLSanPt1BQc

· 5 minute tarp shelter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtnssu5gobk

· 10 survival shelters in under 10 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1jhcepnnCY

· Ultralight medical kit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaCTzaCZnWI

· Diy firestarters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BFu3dVmwQ0

· Best dry bags (for your wallet and shit): https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-roll-top-dry-bag/

Cooking for camps and blackout/brownout situations 

(also keep in mind if this will call people to you and leave you vulnerable. Only cook when it’s safe). We’ll have complex and simple recipes depending on what food sources are still available) 

· Complex probably wishful thinking recipes with subsections for “car” camping and vegans https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/camping-recipe-index/

· Camp bread (this same channel has many others that are good to watch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-Qo6kTkVDo

· Cooking fire building and how to make cowboy coffee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9m9KdtzILQ

· Jerky and tipi smoker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmCjeXK0_S0

· Off grid cooking: https://storageprepper.com/food/top-8-grid-cooking-methods/

· Warm weather survival food kit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOgajE-Mfis

· Survival trapping kit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrpbffX6vOQ

Foraging:

· How to create a medicinal plants reference guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJUjxreelF4

· 3 part series on plants (video 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4aTF_F9-oI

· Finding and harvesting fatwood for good fire starting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enXEPGwWRG4

· Urban foraging: https://fallingfruit.org/docs/David%20Craft%20-%20Urban%20Foraging.pdf

· Natural vit c: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMDKK8GQnDc

· 7 nuts that can be foraged: https://storageprepper.com/food/7-edible-nuts-can-forage-fall/

· List of recommended products from foraging knives to resource books: https://www.wildedible.com/wild-food-resources

· Resources: https://identifythatplant.com/foraging-resources/

· Online resources list: https://www.kitchenunnecessary.com/stories/2020/4/16/online-resources-for-wild-food-foraging

· Using Black Walnut for iodine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tMP8B06uHA

· Milkweed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xxRu1Pezco

Trauma, emergency, and wilderness medicine:

· A list for bag essentials and recommended links for self teaching: https://iaf-fai.org/2020/08/31/skills-for-revolutionary-survival-1-trauma-medical-gear/

· Wound closure in the field https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYmmZStW2wY

· Podcast with pdf downloadable transcripts for emergency medicine: http://embasic.org/podcast-direct-download/

· Survival Doctor’s guide to wound care (there’s a second book available for burns): https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B008M2E4IM&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_NdfuFbXMMCKC0

· In the extreme case you are in the wild without a first aid kit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O65FC8AEzIU

· Military medicine downloadables: https://fas.org/irp/doddir/milmed/index.html

· Another ifak: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZacUj_mADWs

· Applying an Israeli bandage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj8tJhXX-8w

· How you lose body heat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RX7cDrUSi8

· Street medic guide: https://www.paperrevolution.org/street-medic-guide/

Bushcraft for long term scenarios 

· How to choose and use a knife: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOymA4RG638

· 18 Essential knife tactics for bushcrafting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCNoPuZw3oM&t=27s

· How to maintain your knife in the field: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qImoRFy8Wbk

· How to build a “camp” bathroom if you don’t have running water or housing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmNfmRMqYD4

· Lashing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ystfcYBmxk

· L7 trigger traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2SHSK4vPF0

· Ridgeline toggles (for shelters): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7HxCBzcNBQ

· Making needle and thread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJzIf_2fR00

· Basic knots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrOc3L9s4fQ

· More knots: https://theprepared.com/survival-skills/guides/best-3-survival-knots-every-prepper-should-learn/

· Choosing bladed tools: https://theprepared.com/gear/guides/how-to-choose-bladed-tools/

· Spring pole traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrVVIMQNagY

· Making rope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrhgeSgYxgM

Staying hydrated/clean water/additional hygiene 

· Beating dehydration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LejPsJEcCp0

· Survival water kit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N96mFI-CKyA

· Sourcing water from the wild: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miuXQ6QqLGc

· Water storage at home: https://theprepared.com/homestead/reviews/best-two-week-emergency-water-storage-containers/

· Staying clean without running water: https://storageprepper.com/water/get-clean-without-running-water/

Gun and defense basics

· Ballistics protection: https://iaf-fai.org/2020/09/01/skills-for-revolutionary-survival-3-ballistic-protection/

· Personal protection equipment: https://iaf-fai.org/2020/08/31/skills-for-revolutionary-survival-2-basic-personal-protective-equipment/

· Various firearm basics, reloading ammunition, chemical exposure: https://socialistra.org/edu/ https://theprepared.com/self-defense/

· Basic gun safety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvTrIMvK6cs

· Black Bloc: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anti-racist-action-the-green-mountain-anarchist-collective-black-bloc-tactics-communique

Long term food storage 

· Pickling: https://storageprepper.com/food/preppers-guide-pickling/

· Building a pantry the LDS way: https://theprepared.com/blog/review-lds-food-plan/

· Best techniques for long term storage: https://storageprepper.com/food/the-best-techniques-for-long-term-food-storage/

· Canning tips: https://storageprepper.com/food/12-canning-tips-save-life/

· Best foods to buy in bulk: https://storageprepper.com/food/the-7-best-foods-to-buy-in-bulk-and-where-to-get-them/

· Freezing: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze.html

· Storing guidelines and lengths: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/store.html

· Smoking fish at home: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/cure_smoke.html

· Most recent consumer guide for buying a deep freezer: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/freezers/buying-guide/index.htm

· Freeze drying techniques: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzoHJn1lo_w

Gardening and homesteading: 

· Keeping rabbits and hens for protein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpQS-I2ViZo

· 5 indoor fast growing veggies and herbs: https://storageprepper.com/food/5-fast-growing-foods-you-can-grow-indoors/

· Edible landscaping plants: https://storageprepper.com/food/10-edible-plants-to-add-to-your-landscaping/

· Starting seeds indoors: https://storageprepper.com/planning/start-seeds-indoors-better-summer-garden/

· Variety of gardening techniques, instructions, top survival scenario choices, etc: https://www.youtube.com/c/CaliforniaGardening/videos

· Building raised garden beds (see Gardener Scott’s channel for other raised bed tips and so much

more. Super valuable source): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRAieQI4SWo

· Easy fruit trees to grow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_FUwWtxVz8

· More gardening and small animal keeping videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/Selfsufficientme/videos

Communications: 

· Ham radio basics and resources: http://www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio

· Beginner’s guide: https://theprepared.com/survival-skills/guides/beginners-guide-amateur-ham-radio-preppers/

· Ham radio guides for hobbyists and for survival https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChAu6Cof9KlfFxSbL9ytosQ

Pets 

· Fema tips for pets: https://www.ready.gov/pets

· Cheap recipes for dog food if you can’t loot any: https://thebark.com/content/save-money-homemade-dog-food

· Some emergency care tips for pets: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/special-pet-topics/emergencies/emergency-care-for-dogs-and-cats

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Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

Baking In A Tornado https://bakinginatornado.com/

Wandering Web Designer https://wanderingwebdesigner.com/blog

On the Border https://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/

Part-time Working Hockey Mom https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/

The Crazy Mama Llama https://crazymamallama.blogspot.com/